India: Evolution of Water Law and Policy

Cullet, Philippe; Gupta, Joyeeta

doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-9867-3_10

Cited by 33 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Plural water law systems have existed in India since foreign conquerors brought Islamic and British law with them [66]. The colonial 1882 Indian Easements Act, still in effect, allows land owners unrestricted use rights [67].…”

Section: Legal Pluralism Between the National And Subnational Levelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Protected by pluralism? Grappling with multiple legal frameworks in groundwater governance

Conti

Gupta

2014

Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability

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Section: Legal Pluralism Between the National And Subnational Levelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Protected by pluralism? Grappling with multiple legal frameworks in groundwater governance

Conti

Gupta

2014

Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability

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“…Islamic rulers invaded and governed northern India from the 12th century onwards but existing water systems continued unchanged (Cullet and Gupta 2009). Kings owned all water with elaborate taxation systems (Cullet and Gupta 2009). Water was an "indivisible" resource, for collective good and social reprimands checked any misuse.…”

Section: Frames Directing the Use Of Water In Indiamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Community-based water laws, formed over time and defi ned as informal tenets, socioeconomic and cultural norms (Koppen et al 2007) governed the community's management and allocation of water. Those who leased or used the talaab were responsible for its maintenance (Cullet and Gupta 2009). The Arthashastra, a treatise on state policies, allowed private ownership of immovable property, such as embankments, with owners having the rights to sell or mortgage them.…”

Section: Frames Directing the Use Of Water In Indiamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With the European colonization of India in the 16th century, the British Rule took control over surface water (Cullet and Gupta 2009). In the early colonial era, interference with local rules was minimal and up until the mid-19th century, the entire community would still be involved in the planning, building, and constant repair of the local talaab (Mishra 1993).…”

Section: Frames Directing the Use Of Water In Indiamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The worst famines struck India during this time and contributed to a further weakening of the existing water systems (Cullet and Gupta 2009). The worst famines struck India during this time and contributed to a further weakening of the existing water systems (Cullet and Gupta 2009).…”

Section: Frames Directing the Use Of Water In Indiamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Talaab in India: Multifunctional Landscapes as Laminates

Nawre¹

2013

Landscape Journal

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The talaab, or a 'pond', has been an integral part of the Indian life and landscape for centuries. Primarily for collecting rainwater, it acts as a rich venue for multiple activities, the complexity of which defies its simple design elements. While landscape architects are primarily concerned with understanding these design elements, a study limited to the physical design of a talaab will not enable a complete envisioning of its multiple roles. The concept of "frames," put forth by the sociologist Er ving Goffman as cultural definitions of reality, is used to address this gap and to examine, through a historical analysis, the change in ownership and management of water in India. Based on linguist Stef Slembrouck's discussion of frames as spatial metaphors, this paper speculates that the talaab landscape acts simultaneously as a space for normative or expected/typical activities and as a situational/ interactional entity. The paper further characterizes the land-water interface of a talaab as a "laminate" hosting normative activities and acting as a situational/interactional space determined by culturally governed temporal and ideological principles. The use of this model to interpret space as a physical and socio-cultural construct allows a better understanding of the possibilities for creating multifunctional landscapes embedded with social and spiritual meaning.

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Fish community responses to stream flow alterations and habitat modifications by small hydropower projects in the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, India

Jumani¹,

Rao

Kelkar

et al. 2018

Aquatic Conservation

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Small hydropower projects (SHPs) are promoted as environmentally benign alternatives to larger dams; however, the impacts of SHPs have been poorly studied, especially in tropical developing countries, where their growth is being encouraged. This study assessed the impacts of two SHPs on freshwater fish communities in the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot of India. Two dammed and one undammed tributary of the Netravathi River, having similar stream order, elevation, and surrounding land‐use types, were identified as test and control sites respectively. Stream geometry, water chemistry, and fish assemblages were compared across upstream, dewatered, and downstream location categories within and across the three streams. Flow alterations induced by SHPs affected the dewatered river stretches most severely. Stream wetted width and depths diminished drastically in dammed dewatered segments, and consequently this region was characterized by elevated water temperature and reduced dissolved oxygen. Fish species composition varied significantly between dammed and undammed sites, across the upstream, dewatered, and downstream location categories. Dammed segments had lower fish species richness, diversity, and endemicity, and were dominated by eurytopic species (adapted to lentic conditions), unlike the control site, which was dominated by rheophilic species (adapted to flowing waters). Regression analyses indicated that fish species richness in dammed streams increased with distance from the dam in the upstream direction. The SHPs were found to have severe impacts on stream geometry, water chemistry, and aquatic biota, especially in the dry season. Given the ambitious targets of planned SHP growth, most of which are within ecologically fragile regions, changes in SHP operations and policies are proposed to enable the conservation of river fish diversity. These include mandatory environmental impact assessments, conserving undammed headwater streams in regulated basins, maintaining adequate environmental flows, and implementing other mitigation measures.

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India: Evolution of Water Law and Policy

Cited by 33 publications

References 3 publications

Protected by pluralism? Grappling with multiple legal frameworks in groundwater governance

Protected by pluralism? Grappling with multiple legal frameworks in groundwater governance

Talaab in India: Multifunctional Landscapes as Laminates

Fish community responses to stream flow alterations and habitat modifications by small hydropower projects in the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, India

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